DAVENPORT CASH STORE BURNS IN 1953. It was March 21, 1953 and locals are still talking about this fire. The Davenport Post Office burned with it. The newest version of the Davenport Cash Store was sold recently and the locals are talking about that too. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

ABOUT 41ST AND HOME DEPOT. The current issue of Aptos Times (which is mistakenly labeled April 1st, 2005 (as in April Fools Day I guess) has everything you'll need to know about the Kmart, Safeway, Home Depot plot and plans for Soquel Drive and 41st. Try to pick up a copy, it has an aerial view of the Aptos High athletic field plus Trent Dilfer on the cover. Best Buy Electronics is also interested in the Kmart space. Home Depot is almost finished meeting the County requirements for the property. The brand new Safeway building will open in 2006 and the present Kmart, Safeway building will be razed according to the Aptos Times. Taco Bell, The USA Gas Station, and the Round Table Pizza will stay as is. But the little mall where the Back Shop and the 99 cent store used to be, will become parking. The very vacant lot at Soquel and 41st, which is being cleared, will become two mixed office and retail buildings, but no tenants yet. They're bringing in 350 trees and outdoor seating to where Home Depot wants to be. Safeway just paid the county $850,000 in the form of transportation impact, which was based on studies done while Kmart was still there. The Aptos Times goes on to say (on the traffic increase) that Sutter Hospital is building a new branch at Research Drive and some car dealer is opening a site along Soquel Drive too. Safeway's adding a Starbucks and Beverley's Fabrics is happy about that. The article written by Dany Wolf also reminds us that San Lorenzo Lumber is owned by Lumberman's Inc. I'm trying to find a link to the full article so that you don't run off half cocked and fuming. Lumbermans Inc is owned by the Lanoga Corporation. Look them up too, it's worth the time.

RE: THOSE MARCHING SOLDIERS FROM LAST WEEKS PHOTO. Ever watchful Linda Rosewood emails in to say,"I think from the angle of the sun, and from other information I've read, the photo you've identified as "marching south on Branciforte" is actually of soldiers marching west on Soquel at Branciforte". So dear readers, if you scroll down to last week's photo that means that the Rio Theatre is behind the soldiers and Shopper's Corner would be in the lower right hand corner". Thanks Linda. The weird thing is that I've goofed the same directions up on his photo before.

PAUL ELERICK AND GARY PATTON ON NEWS SOURCES: Paul Elerick, political activist, emailed and stated: "We enjoyed your column this week, especially the comments on our pathetic lack of news sources in the area. Thanks for passing on John Laird's tip. Here's another news source your readers should be aware of, radio station KRXA-AM 540. It's coming from Monterey and is a breath of fresh air. They have hired former KION-TV evening news anchor Beverly Beyer doing a morning drive-time program, they carry the Bill Press talk show later in the day, and they broadcast 21 hours a day. Check out www.krxa540.com for more details." Gary Patton emails about his news sources, "I don't really have any pipeline to truth, I'm afraid, or any "special" sources of information. In terms of magazines that I like, I read both In These Times and The Nation. I read lots of newspapers, mostly in print versions but sometimes on line - just the regular press locally here, in Monterey County, and the Sacramento Bee. I review Salon.com and Grist on the web and am on all sorts of listserves, from SPEL to environmental to justice groups. The California Budget Project, by the way, generally gives a great picture of what's happening on the state scene, in most key areas where money is involved (everything important, in other words)."

SAN JOSE OPERA'S "THE CRUCIBLE". Arthur Miller wrote his play the "The Crucible" as a reaction to the Red Scare and Senator Joe McCarthy's communist huntings in the 1950's. Sean Connery did a TV version in 1959 but the biggest and best film of this play was the 1996 film starring Daniel Day Lewis, Wynona Ryder, Paul Scofield and Joan Allen. Reducing any play to make an opera requires massive cuts, as much as 2/3rds some say. This play is so good, so engrossing, so contemporary, that it hits audiences hard no matter what. Robert Ward got permission from Arthur Miller to base his opera on the play, and the opera has been performed by mostly smaller opera companies ever since its premiere in 1961. The opera won a Pulitzer prize. The music isn't the best reason to see San Jose Opera's production because it's nearly atonal, hard to enjoy, and doesn't add much to the plot. It's the singing by the San Jose cast and just experiencing the meaning and applications of the witch hunting plot that makes it worthwhile. Soprano Deborah Berioli as Elizabeth Proctor, and Joseph Wright as John Proctor gave performances way ahead of their years in opera. Soprano Laura Twelves as Abagail Williams sang the brass off the banisters in the newly re-opened art deco California Theatre, home of the San Jose Opera. The set didn't add a thing to the opera either, too minimalist and made no point at all, but the orchestra and the costumes were excellently done. The opera, the play and the film reminds all audiences of our current president's holy driven mistakes, and dealing with love, jealousy and greed, the opera will be performed forever. That's reason enough to see it.

MARGIE KAY ENCLOSES A LETTER AGAINST RANCHO SAN JUAN. Read what a letter writer to the Salinas Californian says against Rancho San Juan.

GARY PATTON'S KUSP REPORTS. Read Gary's reports on our Board of Supervisors handling of Greenwaste at the landfill...dangers of global warming and our California water supply...Coastal Cleanup Day...and as we should all be aware of How the growing Water Problem is completely interwoven with land use.

MARGIE KAY REPORTS ON DESALINIZATION SECRETS. Margie Kay sends an article telling how the Monterey County Board of Supes is dealing with the desalinization of water. Some points we should consider watching out for in the railroading we're getting from the bankers of brine.

WITH SANDY LYDON IN JAPAN. Sandy Lydon has been sending at least 8 letters online covering his history group tour of the non tourist Japan. Here's a link to read how they are doing. There are some awe inspiring happenings and loony stories about luggage too. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JapanLydon2005

AN APOLOGY. I mistakenly quoted Judi Grunstra in last week's column saying she said some things about San Jose's plaza that were really came from the newspaper article she kindly emailed instead. Judi wouldn't ever have said those things, not ever, not nohow. Deep bows to ms. Grunstra.

THE MAN. Whoever had the idea of coupling Eugene Levy with Samuel L Jackson should be sentenced to drive stunt cars for movie chase scenes for life. Eugene Levy's one shtick character hasn't been funny since Waiting for Guffman. Making Samuel L. Jackson into a mean nasty policeman with zip sense of humor in what is supposed to be a comedy is plain wrong, or just dumb in general. I walked out on this one, a rare occurrence, so don't you walk in, if you know what's good for you.

EL CRIMEN PERFECTO. This is a Spanish comedy film. We US film goers aren't used to this kind of goofy-loony humor. It has walking, talking, joking, zombies with meat cleavers in their skull, that sort of thing. It is a department store funny film, and while not exactly up to Marx Brothers or Abbot & Costello quality, it is fun to watch.

A DATE WITH DREW. A documentary about how LA creep Brian Herzlinger tries to get a date with Drew Barrymore. It's even creepier that Drew agrees, and does meet with him! This pathetic ego-driven film says more about both of those people than it should. It should be required viewing in Psych 1a class. It should never have been filmed. I should have walked out early on, but I waited to see if Drew would be weird enough to meet this guy.

THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE. Not knowing anything about the real case this film was "based on", and believing the testimony as given the film actually does make you wonder about the devil and exorcism material. So call it a curious film. The acting is ok, Laura Linney will remind you of Jody Foster a lot, and it is definitely not just another "Exorcist" film.

KEN KOENIG'S JAZZ MASTERPIECE. Ken Koenig, former First Night board member, photographer, and psychiatrist has finished his documentary on Howard Rumsey's Hermosa Beach Lighthouse, "Jazz on the West Coast: The Lighthouse 50's and 60's". It's 77 minutes long and will premiere at the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, 307 Mirada Road, Miramar Bach, Half Moon Bay. Howard Rumsey will be there in person, and it's a fundraiser for The Bach Dancing &DS. Ken's spent years on this project, I saw a very early version; it is an important film covering a neglected part of jazz history. Ken's got Shorty Rogers, Shelly Manne, Art Pepper, Bud Shank, and many more west coast jazz legends in it. The benefit is Sunday, September 25, 4:30-7:30. call 650-726-4143 for reservations, or go to www.bachddsoc.org and get more of the story.

EARL'S EVENINGS. Earl Jackson, film lecturer and Asian Film scholar has just returned from teaching film in Korea. He's put together some great evenings of free films and lively discussions. The films will be at 7p.m. at UCSC's Baskin Auditorium 101. The public is invited. Sept. 28. MARTHA. 1974(Rainer Werner Fassbinder), Oct.5. Dragnet Girl 1931(Ozu Yasujiro), Oct.19. Read or Die Episode 1 2001 (Masanari Koji) and The Mysterious Object at Noon (Apichatpong Weerasethakul), Oct.26 Yangsando 1955 (Kim Kiyong), Nov.2, The Housemaid 1960 (Kim Kiyong), Nov. 9. Three Women 1977 (Robert Altman), Nov. 16. Old Boy 2003 (ParkChan-wook), Nov.23 Tropical Malady 2004 (Apichatpong Weerasethakul), Nov.30 Aventurera 1950 (Alberto Gout). Earl's choices of films are amazing and edifying and lots of fun. Stay around until after the films when everybody gets involved with wild and nearly meaningful opinion slinging. I'll save you a seat.

CRUZIO ANNOUNCES 7TH ANNUAL SMALL BUSINESS FAIR "GROWING A SUSTAINABLE SMALL BUSINESS". Cruzio's Small Business Fairs keep growing and this year it will happen at The Attic on Pacific. Here's part of their press release:

Cruzio, the leading local Internet Service Provider, will host the 7th Annual Cruzio Small Business Fair, on Wednesday, November 16th, 2005 from 4-9pm at The Attic, 931 Pacific Avenue in Downtown Santa Cruz. This year's fair will focus on the theme Growing a Sustainable Small Business, and provide tools and resources to help both new and established small businesses develop and find new customers.

According to the United States Small Business Administration, small firms "Represent 99.7% of all employers" and "employs half of all private sector employees." (www.sba.gov). To serve the many existing and in-the-works small businesses in Santa Cruz County, Cruzio established the Small Business Fair in 1999, and has been providing the event annually as a resource to the community.

Cruzio works hard to meet the needs of local small businesses through the Small Business Fair, and sponsors and attendees like Christina Lopp, of Kapiolani Design, report that the fair provided "...exposure to hundreds of small businesses through Santa Cruz County...and helped get my name and expertise known throughout the community." The Fair will include three panel presentations with local small business leaders and experts giving practical advice and tips on the topics of: Growing a Sustainable Small Business, Finding and Keeping Customers, and Marketing Basics & Beyond. Each panel discussion will be one and half hours long and followed by Q&A.

The Fair also includes informative resource booths and networking opportunities. Admission is $35 in advance, $40 at the door, and a complete dinner provided by The Attic is available for an additional $10. Registration and in-depth panel information is available at the event's Web site: www.smallbusinessfair.com. Attendees can choose to attend two of the three panels throughout the evening. WHERE: The Attic, 931 Pacific Ave., Downtown Santa Cruz, 95060
INFO: For more information and to register go to www.smallbusinessfair.com.

QUOTES. "Cleopatra had the body of a roll-top desk and the mind of a duck." -Rowan Atkinson. "Yesterday was the first day of the rest of your life and you messed it up again." -Patrick Murray. "Take the diplomacy out of war and the thing would fall flat in a week." -Will Rogers.

Deep Cover

Mail This Column to a Friend

Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.